Total Complaints
3 filings
OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS · model year
1980 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS
3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1980OLDSMOBILECUTLASS carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1980 CUTLASS is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder with 1 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:carburetor system (1) and tires:tread/belt (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1980 CUTLASS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000922TIRES:TREAD/BELT
ABOUT A 1.5 TO 2 YEARS AGO I PURCHASE A FIRESTONE 721 PASSENGER CAR TIRE. I ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR RIDING RUFF. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TIRE AND TOLD THEM THAT MY TIRE WERE OUT OF BALANCE AND THAT THEY NEEDED REBALANCING. THEY SAID THAT MY RIMS WERE BENT, THEY REPLACED THEM AND IT STILL DIDN'T STOP THE VIBRATION. NEXT, THEY SAID MY REAR AXLE WAS BENT AND THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION. I DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS AT THE TIME TO REPLACE MY REAR ALXE I WOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE ROUGH RIDE. SHORTLY THERE AFTER, ON A TRIP TN THE VIBRATION GOT ALOT WORSE, UNTIL I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED SOMEONE HITTING THE SIDE OF MY CAR WITH A BASEBALL BAT I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND FOUND THAT THE NEW 721 THAT I BOUGHT THREADS CAME OFF AND HIT THE SIDE OF MY CAR KNOCKING THE TRIM OFF OF IT. I DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY TO MEMPHIS ON THE DONUT, ALSO, I NOTICE AS SOON AS I PUT THE SPARE ON AND WAS ON THE HIGHWAY THE VIBRATION I HAD P
19991212FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
THIS IS TO BOB YOUNG: AFTER READING THE WALL ST JOURNAL ARTICLE I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT I LEARNED FIRST HAND ANOTHER CAUSE OF RUNAWAY VEHICLES: ELECTRONIC CARBURETOR DIDNT LIKE FUEL RICHNESS SO ACCELERATED EVERYTIME I TRIED TO STOP AT A SIGN. LA VEGAS DEALER ADJUSTED IT TO IGNORE PROBLEM. TOOK 2 TIMES TO FIX. MORE INFO IF BOB YOUNG WANTS TO EMAIL ME... ALEX
19970805CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 10 TO 15 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE MASTER CYLINDER WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK
Compare 1980OLDSMOBILECUTLASS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1980 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS have?▼
The 1980 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS has 3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1980 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1980 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM and TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1980 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.